Unionist politicians have dismissed as "patronising" a proposal by the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, to allow serving officers in the Garda Siochana to join the new Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The Ulster Unionist security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, said the suggestion was "slightly patronising to Catholics and aggravating to Protestants".
He added: "If we are in the position where the posturing of Sinn Fein and the SDLP deters Catholics within Northern Ireland from joining the police, then how on earth are we going to attract people who have a good career structure in the Irish Republic? This is not something that in the practical sense is going to make a huge difference."
DUP MLA Mr Nigel Dodds said the proposal came at a time when the security situation on the ground was very grave in Northern Ireland and the need for the experience and numbers of the RUC had "never been greater".
Mr Dodds said: "Instead, the (British) government is pushing ahead with proposals which are nothing to do with meeting the real needs of the community for safety and security, but rather are part of a one-sided agenda of appeasing republicanism for political purposes.
"There have been individual instances of police officers from the Republic joining the RUC before. However, what is now being suggested could open the floodgates to the replacement of long-serving, experienced and local officers in the RUC with imports from the Republic who are inexperienced in dealing with the sort of situations arising on the streets of Ulster.
"The only purpose for such a policy seems to be to increase the numbers of Catholics in the force."
The chairman of the rank-and-file Police Federation, Mr Les Rodgers, however, said he had no problem with Mr Mandelson's proposal as long as recruitment occurred "on a level playing field and without quotas".
